


Cassandra is Tired

by yokiedokie



Category: Dragalia Lost (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 01:23:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21027953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yokiedokie/pseuds/yokiedokie
Summary: So what if Audric visited Cassandra after the evnts of his stories but before he goes back to the Halidom.





	1. Chapter 1

Cassandra was, for the lack of a better words, fucking _tired_. Not only had she had to deal with the appearance of the young prince Euden, accompanied by, somehow of all people Aur-_Audric_; she felt the need to bare her soul to Elisanne by gifting her Douleur. After all of that, Cassandra felt the need to stay far, far away from the Halidom for a few weeks. She couldn't bring herself to look Elisanne in the face anyways. Even though she'd hidden her embarrassment well after Elisanne delivered Douleur, Cassandra didn't trust herself enough to not get red in the face after a while of being around Elisanne. 

Cassandra desperately hoped Elisanne wouldn't tell anyone else. It was nervewracking enough to tell the young woman about Douleur and Cassandra's own unrequited feelings. If the whole Halidom knew because Elisanne flapped her gums, Cassandra would probably go curl up in a corner and set her cottage on fire. That would be a shame, because it was a nice cottage, and she liked her books. She didn't know what she would do if Aur-Audric found out. Cassandra didn't believe him to be in the Halidom anymore, but if he was? And he heard? Cassandra would probably undo her reverse aging spell and go live as some old granny in the mountains, rather than deal with that mess!

Douleur was getting tired of her. He had been hovering by her face getting increasingly more and more annoyed as she drifted off in thought. Eventually, he seemed to have enough of Cassandra's spaceyness, as he harumphed and flew in her face, before speaking in that irritating voice of his.

"Hey, old lady! You've had someone knocking at the door for five minutes! Stop daydreaming about that Audric man, and go answer the door before that interloper kicks it down! Or I'll go scare them off!" After his small rant, Douleur whizzed about her a few times, before finally slamming himself onto the table. Cassandra glared at her cheeky little book before sighing, finally registering the thumping on her door. 

Groaning, Cassandra stood up, yelling at the door. "Just a moment! Hold your horses, my knees aren't what they used to be!" 

Internally cursing whoever this uninvited guest was for interrupting her very well deserved rest, Cassandra made her way over to the door, where the guest must've finally heard her shout and stopped that infernal knocking. Sighing, Cassandra fixed herself up in the mirror before finally going to pull the handle, and open the door to find....

Aurelius. Well. Audric. 

She couldn't contain the look of obvious surprise crossing her face, that Audric seemed to pick up on, evidenced by a frown quickly making its way onto his face and that ever so familiar and ever so haunting crease between his eyebrows. A loud thump echoed through the house behind her, indicating that Douleur had been snooping. Cassandra didn't have the available brainpower to process that, as she was so taken aback she barely heard Audric speak.

Audric seemed overly nervous, or conflicted, glaring pointedly off into Cassandra's parlor. "I, uhm, I came back. I wanted to check on you..... I... I needed to check on you," he explained, with his voice getting oddly tight around the end. Cassandra felt even more taken back, which seemed to once again tip off Audric. His ears flushed red, as he quickly stuttered out an apology. 

"Ah, I... I'm probably annoying you, I'm sorry. It's getting rather late anyways and I should probably go back to the Halidom so that that purple sylvan won't yell at me. And you're probably busy too, you've always had projects going late into the night," Audric rambled, ears getting redder and redder as he continued going on. Cassandra finally snapped out of her spell of confusion, before sighing and leaning over, grabbing Aur-Audric's arm and essentially dragging him inside. 

Pulling the now quiet and rather stunned seeming former king along, Cassandra went into autopilot mothering mode, quickly settling Audric onto a sofa, draping a blanket around his shoulders, (Because the poor man was shivering, but Cassandra dutifully ignored the tears beading and attributed it to the cold), and heading into the kitchen to make some warm drinks. If Cassandra heard a low sob coming from her parlor, she would just saying its her old ears tricking her. She wouldn't judge. Douleur snickered in her mind. 

'_Wow, he hasn't even been in the house five minutes and he's already crying! What did you do to the poor fellow, old bag?_' the book taunted. Honestly, the nerve of the little bastard. 

Douleur sneered, though he was in her mind, so she merely imagined it on his horrid little book face. '_Who do you have to blame for me but yourself you old coot? You MADE me in your own damn image! Anyways, get out here, your lover boy looks like he's about to run for the hills because he made tear stains in your blanket._"

That snapped Cassandra out of her daze. Quietly walking into the parlor with two mugs of cocoa (_She remembers spending long nights doing paperwork with him while he was nothing but a prince, the warmth of the fire and the mugs in their hand lifting their spirits through the dull hours_), Cassandra attempted to stay silent, only for the clink of the cups on a table to startle Audric into a rigid position. Cassandra noted the unfamiliar redness under his eyes, and the quickly wiped away trails down his face. Sighing, she sat next to the former king, drawing the blanket around his shoulders closed, before leaning into a embrace to begin rubbing circles in his back. She idly wondered, as a great sigh left the exhausted man sitting in her arms as he began to settle into her touch, what had happened to him. She wouldn't ask now. She would wait. 

For a while, they remained in a comfortable silence, as Audric regained his composure and Cassandra finally got her mind to stop reeling (_well, as much as it would ever stop reeling around Aur-Audric_). After what seemed like a eternity, Audric finally lifted his head, giving Cassandra a small, bleak smile. 

"Sorry to barge in on you, Cass..." the man hoarsely whispered, Cassandra's old nickname rolling off his tongue as easily as it did ten, twenty, forty years ago. He breathed for a moment, seemingly on the edge of tears before beginning again. "I really, only meant to just stop by and see how you were faring, before I went back to the Halidom. I didn't mean to have a... uhm... _fit_ .... in your living room...." embarrassed, he paused for a moment, gazing around the room, becoming lost in thought, before turning to face Cassandra again. Audric seemed to be far away in the clouds, as he leaned in close to her face. Butterflies erupted in Cassandra's stomach. She could feel his breath on her mouth, count the eyelashes on his face, see the red dusting his cheeks. Cassandra could kiss him. Cassandra _wanted_ to kiss him. But she felt all the euphoric butterflies that erupted in her stomach immediately rise into her throat, choking her, after Audric's next quiet whisper.

"You're just like her." 

Audric didn't even to seem to realize he said those words out loud, only snapping out of his daze and jerking backwards, stammering out a apology, after realizing how close to her he got.

Cassandra felt faint. There was still another woman. Aurelius could be from any damn universe and he would never want Cassandra. There was always going to be some other woman. Unceremoniously,she shoved the ugly thoughts floating over her head away. It didn't matter. Audric, right now, needed _Cassandra_. She put on her softest, kindest, fakest smile, looking at Audric, who finally seemed to get his head out of the clouds. 

Placing her hands on top of Audric's, Cassandra did her best to keep her voice steady. "You're exhausted from your journey. I'm going to insist you stay here, if only for the night," she soothed. Audric seemingly eas about to protest, before a mug of cocoa got shoved rather unceremoniously in his face. Douleur snickered in Cassandra's head at that. 

'_Seems you're following the ancient rules of getting to a mans heart through his stomach, fool._' The book cackled. '_You're falling in love with him again already. What has it been, a half hour?_' 

Cassandra elected to ignore the book, instead focusing on the small, finally genuine smile creeping its way across Audric's face. She would treasure this. She would keep him safe this time. This time, Cassandra wouldn't let shoddy feelings keep her from her task. 

Quietly taking Audric's free hand, Cassandra let out a soft laugh after he gently squeezed it, before settling her head on his shoulder. She could live with this. This soft, unspoken feeling. Even if Aurelius never loved her, she could be content in this soft, warm, unexpectedly familiar limbo.


	2. Audric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audric wakes up and thinks back on his own experience.

Audric didn't remember falling asleep. He remembered walking(getting dragged) into Cassandra's house, get sat down, then embarrassingly crying. He remembered Cassandra cooing at him, soothing him, as he tried and failed to keep those emotions in check, clutching at her like she was the last thing he had.   
  
So no, Audric didn't remember falling asleep. As he blinked the sleep from his eyes, he vaguely registered the shape of Cassandra lying next to him, loosely held against him by his own arms. He didn't remember that happening at all. He tried to move, but quickly figured out that he was trapped under Cassandra when she let out a whimper at his movement. Letting out a small sigh, Audric pulled up the blanket covering the two, before allowing himself to snuggle closer to Cassandra. She'd never know that it was a concious decision.  
  
Audric thought back to before he even entered Cassandra's cottage. After the exhausting jump with Zodiark, he sent the dragon on ahead to the Halidom, while Audric selfishly decided to check up on Cassandra, to soothe his own fears. He knew he should've only looked in a window or merely watched the smoke rise from her chimney for a while, to ascertain her wellbeing. Cassandra being near him, being close to him, being his friend (or something more, though that was shot down as soon as it entered Audric's mind), was a recipe for disaster. But, of course, he once again decided to ignore common sense, follow his selfish desires, and knock on the door.   
  
While standing there, Audric swore he heard some man talking to Cassandra. For some reason, his heart fell. Did she have someone in this world? He hadn't noticed anything the last time he entered Cassandra's abode, but then again, she always did call him dense, and for good reason. Goddes above, why did he even care. It wasn't like he cared for the sorceress as anything more than a friend. Audric didn't even notice he had been continuously knocking until Cassandra's cranky yell startled him out of his reverie. Sheepishly, he brought his hand down, only to wring it nervously. He didn't know how Cassandra would react.  
  
His wondering was answered when Cassandra finally opened the door and a look of utter astonishment plastered itself across her face. Audric felt a million butterflies erupt in his stomach, making him feel rather ill. He felt the familiar frown cross his face, before pointedly staring into Cassandra's parlor. He wouldn't be able to stay strong if he looked her in the face.  
  
"I, uhm, I came back. I wanted to check on you.... I... I needed to check on you," Audric explained. He cursed inwardly for the way his voice wavered and tightened during the last part. He had come here to relieve worries, not make more. Cassandra only seemed to become more astonished, her eyebrow inching ever closer to her hairline. Had he been in a better mood, had this been a different time, Audric would've teased her about the rather adorable expression gracing her. But, this wasn't a good time. Instead, it only made Audric dread and regret his actions. Feeling his ears and face grow hot, Audric didn't hesitate to immediately begin rattling out a apology.  
  
"Ah, I... I'm probably annoying you, I'm sorry," He continued rambling, finding it hard to stop from the anxiety. "It's getting rather late anyways and I should probably go back to the Halidom so that that purple sylvan won't yell at me. And you're probably busy too, you've always had projects going late into the night." Audric was primed to continue his ramble, before a soft hand firmly gripped his wrist and walked (dragged) him into the cottage.   
  
Cassandra lightly pushed Audric onto a soft couch, before reaching behind him to grab a thick blanket to wrap him in. He felt like he was in a daze, and on the verge of crying. Audric didn't deserve this kindness, and yet without any asking Cassandra gave it to him. He barely even noticed her walking off, as he slowly lost the battle to keep his tears inside. He was so tired. By the time Cassandra came back with some warm drinks, he had cried as much as he wanted to allow himself to. Feeling her settle next to him, before drawing him into a hug, broke him again. He missed this. He missed being held and caressed.  
  
They stayed in the soft, warm, embrace for a while, before finally drawing apart. Audric lifted his head, trying to give Cassandra a winning smile. It didn't work, as she seemed to get more concerned.   
  
Audric tried to reassure her, feeling guilty. "Sorry to barge in on you, Cass..." he paused for a moment, taking in Cassandra's concerned expression. Taking a deep breath, trying to push back those horrible, horrible memories, he continued. "I really only meant to just stop by and see how you were faring, before I went back to the Halidom. I didn't mean to have a... uhm... fit.... in your living room..." Cassandra's face fell as though she was about to object, so Audric quickly looked away. He couldn't take it. Finally, looking back at Cassandra, he leaned in. She and that other Cassandra were so similar. They were the same. She could die just as easily as the Cassandra from the other world. She was just like her.   
  
Audric only realized he said that last sentence aloud after Cassandra's face tightened in confusion. He jerked back, finally snapped out of his daze. He quickly stammered out a apology, watching as Cassandra seemed to go into a daze of her own. Finally, she seemed to snap out of it, shaking her head as a small, kind smile made its way onto her face. Placing one of her hands on top of Audric's, he felt himself marvel at how small her hands were to his.   
  
"You're exhausted from your journey. I'm going to insist you stay here, if only for the night," Cassandra cooed, taking her hand away from Audric. Audric snapped his head up at that, meaning to protest, however weakly, that he didn't mean to impose, but recieved a mug of some hot drink shoved in his face instead. Noticing the look on Cassandra's face, he realized that he was truly facing a brick wall of stubborness. He couldn't help the smile sneaking onto his face, small, and weak, but entirely one born from happiness. Cassandra seemed to brighten up considerably after seeing it, taking Audric's free hand, and drinking her hot cocoa. Sipping on his own hot cocoa (Goddess, so many memories of long nights spent working with Cassandra working resoultely at his side, mugs upon mugs piled on the desk from both of their efforts), Audric squeezed her hand, which elicited a small puff of laughter from her. He hadn't felt so relieved at a noise in a long time.   
Audric supposed, at some point, after that, he fell asleep, as the night faded into warmth and a comfortableness he hadn't experienced in years, in numerous timelines.

  
  
Audric didn't remember falling asleep again. But here he was, being jostled to awakeness by Cassandra, rather adorably, snuggling into his side, and the soft glow through the windows threatening to fall over their faces. Looking at Cassandra, he felt his heart lighten. Certainly, he was a man of sin, or selfishness and vanity. He didn't deserve any of the kindness he received. And yet, at the same time, he craved it. Cassandra gave him a single night of comfort and warmth and now he wanted more of it. He wanted to spend day after day, night after night, basking in this warmth. Audric knew exactly what this feeling was, but he was terrified of it. After what happened to Cassandra in the parallel world though, he couldn't afford to be afraid. He would protect this Cassandra. He swore it.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mad sexy that I don't know how to write but continue writing anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> How can there be no Audric/Cass in dragalia tag yet i say? I'll take matters into my own damn hands I say.
> 
> Possible continuations in the future?


End file.
